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Hippeastrum x johnsonii (St. Joseph's Lily) - This semi-evergreen bulb multiplies rapidly to form masses of broad green strap-shaped leaves to 30 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide that can take on coppery tones when grown in full sun. In early April and May bulbs produce up to 4 stems that bear 4 to 6 flowers apiece. These flowers, with a spicy fragrance, have 6 gracefully recurved scarlet red tepals, each with a central white stripe, producing a star like pattern in the center of the flower.
Plant this bulb in full to part sun and irrigate during dry summer months to maintain foliage or allow it to go dormant. It can thrive in heavy clays soils but it does best in colder climates if the soil drains well. This is the hardiest of the Amaryllis and can be grown in USDA Zone 7, which can experience winter temperatures to 0°F. In these climates this bulb is winter deciduous but in warmer locations it is nearly evergreen. It grows well in containers but is shy to flower unless planted in the ground and is noted by some as resistant to deer browsing.
Hippeastrum x johnsonii (formerly Amaryllis johnsonii) is commonly referred to as Hardy Amaryllis, Johnson's Amaryllis or the St. Joseph's Lily. The name St. Joseph's Lily seems the most popular name although St. Joseph's day is March 19th, nearly 1 month before this plant blooms for us. It is thought to be the first hybrid amaryllis ever produced, it was the result of a cross, perhaps unintentional between Hippeastrum reginae and Hippeastrum vittata performed between 1799 and 1810 by Arthur Johnson, a watch maker from Prescot in Lancashire County, England. Mr. Arthur fortunately shared his plants with the Liverpool Botanic Garden prior to his greenhouse, and its contents, being accidentally destroyed.
Hippeastrum x johnsonii made its way into cultivation in the United States by the mid-1800s and was in Santa Barbara when Dr. Francesco Franceschi performed his 1895 survey of plants being grown in Santa Barbara. While this plant is rarely offered in nurseries it can be found in older gardens and cemeteries, particularly in southern California, the southeast and in Texas. Our thanks go to Tony Avent for putting this wonderful bulb into tissue culture production and sharing it with us.
The information displayed on this page about Hippeastrum x johnsonii is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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